Machine vision tools can be used to automate the inspection of parts of different sizes and shapes (e.g., during manufacturing processes). Displacement sensors, for instance, can be used to measure the displacement of an object from a plane of reference, such as while the object travels along a platform or conveyor belt, to measure the three dimensional displacement of the object. These and other machine vision techniques often require using different optics depending on the particular application, such as the size or shape of the feature being measured, or the amount of resolution required for the particular application. For example, if an image sensor is being used to inspect a small feature of an object (e.g., a corner of a microchip), then the image sensor may be configured with a small field of view (“FOV”) to inspect the feature since it is relatively small and requires a high amount of resolution. If the image sensor is instead being used to inspect a larger object or a larger feature of an object (e.g., tire treads), then the image sensor may be configured with a larger FOV to inspect the larger feature (which may in-turn sacrifice resolution), because otherwise the image sensor may not be able to inspect the entire feature. The displacement sensor's measured height values form a 2D profile of the object in the FOV.
While it can be desirable to use a single sensor for different applications, it is often difficult to change the configuration of the image sensor to achieve multiple (or different) FOVs without changing other aspects of the sensor. For example, adjusting the FOV often requires adjusting parameters in the optical setup of the sensor, such as the distance between the image sensor and the lens of the sensor, the focal length of the lens, the angle between lens, sensor and/or plane of focus, and/or other parameters. Therefore sensors are usually designed and built such that they are configured for only one application (e.g., they can only achieve one FOV). However, changing between different image sensor housings to adapt a system to different imaging scenarios can increase manufacturing costs since different housings need to be machined, and can add complexities to managing machine vision applications for different products.